Wrench



Oct. 23, 1923.

J. R. PALMETER WRENCH Filed Feb. 21. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 23 1923.

1,471,413 J. R. PALMETER WRENCH l 2 Sheets-sheet 2 F'iled Feb. 21, 1922V/////////////////1V/IHW//lH//lW Awrenches; and the 'object oftheimprove- Patented Oct. 23, 1923.

f Lavinia 'YWRENCH. if.. i

Applicata@ filedv February 241, 1922. ff serial in. marea i Theinvention relates to adjustable jawA ment is to provide a wrench in-`which the movable jaw is s'lidably mounted crosswise of the.- wrenchheadto freely move to and, from a fixed jaw and be heldin spaced re-.lation thereto byv means of inter'meshing toothed slides, one lof whichslides is spring actuated and the other slide is .controlled by amanually compressibl'e spring leverwhich also engages saidV springcontrolled slide tovwithdraw both slides out of the path of said movablejaw` in order to adjust the same, said spring lever beingautomaticallyreturned to its normal position by the spring control of the same; andthe invention oonsists inthe novelv features and combinationshereinafter set forthand claimed. In-the drawings, F igure` 1 is a sideelevation of the wrenchwith the parts in the normal position, the jawsbeing separated from each other. F ig. 2'is a side elevation of thewrench with thepside yplates removed, showing the construction andarrangement of the wrench parts and the manner of adjusting and holdingthe 'movable jaw. Fig.

3 is a detail plan view ofV the preferredl form of the operating lever.Fig. eis a perspective view of the two jaw holding slides separated fromeach other-rand the.

. wrench, to show the construction of the same'V in a wrench in' whichsaid slides are placed edge to edge sopas to make as thin a wrench. aspossible; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a vmodified form4 of the jaw holding4 slides in wrenches inwhich great strength is desired, andSaid slides are placed side toside instead of edge-to edge as inthethinner wrench, the modification being used pref, erably forrlargewrenches. gFig. 6 is a crosswise sectional view at line 6-46 n'Fig.

2 showingthey andijarrange-L* l ment of the `slides` and the pin andgroove j i connection. Fig. x7 is fa. sectional. view of'.

themodified form of the ,slides atlineY-f' in o Fig. Y10 in which theyare placed sidelto side and the pin and grooveconnection.` Fig. 8 is in,an .edgewisef elevation ofl the fwrench sho'wingthfe compressible lever`and side closure -plate and theY preferred arrange ment for theVmovable jawiiwith theribex- :tending'int'o the same tofhold the sameiny line; en lFig. 9 is a sideelevationof'the head ofthe wrench with theside plate and movable-'jaw removed showing said cross-.-

wise rib, the holding'. or controlling slides being shown inthewithdrawn position, :that

is,r with the' controlling lever-pressed inward,the extendedlpositimfffor said 'lever` being shown in dotted outline; andF ig. 10 r4is la perspective View of Vthemlovable jaw removed from'the wrench headand showing the groove therein foi-said crosswise rib; and Fig. 11 isaside elevation .fof the modi fied form oflthe wrench" head 'showing oneof-the toothed slides in the holdingposition, the .other being shown inythe withdrawn position yin dotted outline Ffig 12 is a l crosswisesectional view at line. 12,-12 in Fig. ,111. showingl the arrangementofthe slides and the ypin and groove connection in the modified form. YFig. 13 isa lperspective viewof thel side plate `for the wrench detachedfrom wrench. Y V v Like characters of reference referto` correspondingparts in the several views.

the remaining portion of the The numeral 15 desgnates/themain por- Ytionof the-w-rench'whichV has ,the fixed jaw llextending upat one sideofthe wrench head, a crosswise groove 17y being provided immediatelybeneath said' fixed' j aw `16, which Vgroove hasv the crosswiserib'lStherein. The;

rib 18 dividesthe groove 17 about midway and extends into 'the movablejaw 19, pref changed, for'exa'mple, for rlightnessv or for:greatenstrength ,withoutdeparting from my erably in about -theproportion shown 'in 9.5

Fig. 8, thoughfthese proportions may bev 17 and has lthe groove 20therein to slidably Y19 as it slidably works in the groove 17 in saidwrench head. f

The Vmain portion 15 of the wrench is extended angularly in a handle 23and has the groove or sidewise opening 24: therein connecting to groove17 at one end to receive the jaw controlling slides 25 and 26 in thesmall or thinner wrenches, land 27 v,and 28 in the larger or thickerwrenches, said slides being similarly. actuated and. performing the sameotlice in substantially the same manner, with the exception of the sizeof the wrench .as to thickness, and the strength of the same, the slides27 and 28having a slightly dilferent shaped opening 29 las compared withopening 211. The edge to edgeV or more delicate `slides 25 and 26 aretoothed on their ends as shown Vat 30to enter into holding mesh in theteeth 21 in the 'movable jaw 19. 1 t

The slide 26 has the hole 31 inthe inner end of the same to receive thecoil spring 32, which coilspring seats on a shoulder 33 in the inner endof the groove24'- The slide 25 slidably lits alongsidethe slide 26 inthe groove 211 and has the Si'dewise extending pin 3e on the innerend ofthe same which is engaged in the inclined open-ended slot 35 in thepivotally mounted lever 36. The lever 36 is pivotedv on a pin 37 at itslower e-nd and Yhas the leafspring 38 bearingragainst the inner side ofthe same, preferably having the tongue 39 on its upper end which strikesagainst the side vof the wrench part 15 and thereby acts as a stop forthe inward move Y ment of said'lever 36, said inward movement being justsulicient to withdraw the slides 25 and 26 entirely out of mesh with theteeth k21 lof the movable jaw 19, thereby permitting said movable jaw 19to be adjusted against the nut to be turned, after whichv pressure onthe lever 36 may be removed, thereby permitting the slides 25` and 26 tobe automatically moved into mesh withV the teeth 21 to hold said movableaw` 19 in the adjusted position. f

. ln order tov withdraw the slide 26 from i intermeshing engagement withthe teeth 21,

slide from mesh with the teeth 21, and the pin 10 then engages the endwall of the notch or groove li1 and continued pressure withdraws saidslide 26 from engagement in the teeth 21, thereby entirely freeing themovable jaw 19 so it can be moved backward or forward as desired inorder to adjust the same.

A cover or side plate Ll2 is provided on the side of the main Ywrenchportion 15, bei' tt in the side of the' slide 27 and the lostmotiongroove 47, and the action is exactly the same as with the slides25 and 26, the slides 28 being automatically actuated by a spring 32 onthe shoulder 33 asfor slide 26.

The slide 28, however, has the shoulder 33 nearer thejteeth 21 in orderto provide for the increased width ofthe toothed end of the slide 28,which has the shoulder 15 with the hole t6 therein to receive the spring29, as shown in Figs. 5 and 11. rlhe pin it in the slide 27 working inthe groove 117 as shown ini Fig. 12 actuates the slide 28 in preciselyYthe same manner as the slide 25 actuates the slide 26. -However, theplacing of the slides 27 and 28 alongsideV ene another permits liveteeth 'in each slide 27 and 28 instead of three teeth as in slides 25and 26, thereby giving a much stronger holding power for the jaw 19; Theslides 27 and 28 may work alternately the same as the slides 25 and 26.The number of teeth in'said slide may be changed without departing .frommv invention.

1t is apparent that all of the parts of the wrench may be quickly andeconomically made by drop forging and other machine methods, also thatthe wrench can vbe quickly and easily assembled, thereby permitting themanufacture of the wrench and assemblage of the same at a low cost, `atthe same time making an exceedingly strong and convenient wrench whichcan be held and adjusted byV one hand. n

ln operating the wrench, all that is necessary 's te give manualpressure to the lever 36 with its stop projection 39 which pressesdownward on the pin 34E, thereby withdrawing the two slides 25 and 26 or27 and 28 from their meshing engagement with the movable jaw 19,permitting said jaw 19 to ranged in -staggered relation as toiinte'rf"`meshing` with the'teeth on the movable jaw at say one-half thethickness of said teeth on the movable jaw, that is, one slide of said`pairlV of slides be positioned solas to f inter-mesh with the teeth 21 on the movable jaw and by withdrawing the same,` and movi ing saidmovable jaw one-half-'the thickness of one orp the teeth 21,the'otherslide would be permitted toenten This, arrangement gives asuiiiciently close adj ustment,since the sizes of bolt nuts usually runin one-eighth inch series. It is obvious that anyfform of` lteethcrosswise of the edge of said jaw, a

pair. of toothed slides to hold said jaw in an adjusted position, andsingle manual control' Vfor said slides to retract the same seriatimfrom engagement with the teeth of said slidably mounted jaw. j j

2. A wrench comprising a struck-up main Aportion having a crosswisegroove I in the head portion and a lengthwise groove .opening out ofsaid crosswise groove into the handle portion of said wrench, a movablejaw slidably mounted in said crosswise groove,slides in saidlengthwiseportion of' said groove having their ends adjacent the edge of saidmovablev jaw, and releasable inter-engaging spaced projections andopen-- ings in the adjacent portions of said slides and said jaw wherebyoneof said slides will hold said jaw in a fixed position, a manuallycontrolled lever for retracting one of said slide-s and lost'motionmeans between said slides transmitting the retracting move-V ment of thefirst named slide to the other slide and insuring the release of movablejaw. Y 1

3. A wrench co-mprising a struck-up main portion having a crosswisegroove in the head portion and a lengthwise groove open- Y ing out ofsaid crosswise groove into the handle portion of said wrench, a movablejaw slidably mounted inl said crosswise groove, slides in saidlengthwise portionof said groove having their ends adjacenty the edge ofsaid movable jaw,l inter-engaging spaced projections and openings in theadjacent portions of said slide ends and said jaw whereby one of saidslides will hold said jaw in a fixed position, vand means to manuallyretract said slides'seriatim and release the holding slide fromengagement with said movable jaw to adjust the same.

4. VA r wrench comprising a vmain Vstrl'lck-up a movable l`Wrenchportion having '-a; crossw'isejgroove therein and-:a lengthwisegroove opening slides mounted 1Ain lsaidlengthwise groove` to withdrawthe holding slide J,from engage'- ment withsaid jaw, and a side platefor said wrench to` close. said `-groovesafnd hold the parts in working.position, y

V- 5. A wrench comprising a main struck-up wrench portion khavingcrosswise lengthwise grooves opening into one `means betweensaidslidesandmovablejaw* whereby'one of saidslides will hold the same, a manuallycompressible spring lever .'75

and

another, a tixedzjaw on said main portion,

a movable jaw slidably fitting in said` crosswise groove tomove to fandfromsaid iXed jaw, apair of jaw holding slides mounted( 'in saidlengthwise groove,A a spring for actuatingone `of :said slides towardrsaid movable jaw, a spring controlled lever Vfor the. otherof saidslides, lost motion lconnection between said slides, 'and toothedinter-meshing connection between thetends of said slides and the side ofsaid movable jaw.

6. A wrench comprising a main-struck-up wrench- Vportion havingcrosswise and lengthwise grooves opening into -onev another, a fixed jawon said main portion,

a movable jaw slidably fitting in said crosswise groove to move to andlfrom said 'fixed jaw, a pair of slides mounted in said lengthwise groove'with reedom1 of endwise movement, a spring for actuating oneof saidslides intofholding engagement with said movable jaw, aspiringcontrolled-lever I or the other of said slides, lost motion connectionbetween said slides, toothed connection between theends of said slidesand the side of said movable jaw, saidteeth in said slides arrangedtoothed slides into inter-meshing engagement with said movable jaw. Y

7. A wrench comprising a main struck-up wrench Y portion `havingcrosswise and lengthwisegrooves' therein, a liXed jaw on Y ment, teethcrosswise of the lower edge ofv said" movable jaw, similarily toothedjaw holding slidesl Vmounted in the lengthwise portionlof said? grooveadjacent saidY teeth on said movable jaw to Yinter-mesh therewith, acoil spring to give automatic engage-" v 11ofy in staggered vrelation toon-e another as to said teeth in f said movable jaw to alternatelyVenter said ment for Said inter-meshing teeth on vone of cover. plateshaped to lit said main portion lfif said Slidesa a pin 'on the other ofsaid slides, of said Wrench and hold and enclose seid a spring leverhaving open-ended slot parte Y engagement with said pin on said slideand In testimony whereof have allixecl my extending out from the handleof said signature n the presence of two Witnesses.

Y Wrench to be manually eoinpiessible to move JOHN R. PALMETER.

said 'slides lengthwise out of engagement Vlitnesses: Y with saidmovable jaw, pin and lost motion v CORINNE V. SWANSON',

Connection between Said Slides, and a side E. T. BALDWIN.

